Shopping Malls To Offer Safety Program For Kids

Shopping malls throughout Broward County will offer free fingerprinting and safety information for children between the ages of 3 and 14 during Kids Identification Sign Up week April 7-13.

The malls are participating in a nationwide program sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers. Approximately 4,000 malls in the United States and Canada will be participating.

Ever since the flurry of publicity surrounding the abduction of Adam Walsh from the toy department of Sears at the Hollywood Mall in July 1981, shopping centers have been increasingly concerned about the welfare of children.

``Shopping centers have been closely associated with missing children, although kids have been missing and things have been happening for years,`` said Henry B. Glover of Plantation, general manager of the Galleria at Fort Lauderdale.

``The Adam Walsh movie really brought it to life.``

This is the first national program sponsored by the New York-based ICSC. The child safety activities will be conducted simultaneously at all the participating malls.

Law enforcement officers will oversee the fingerprinting. The sole copy of the prints will be given to the parents for safekeeping along with a brochure on child safety.